This sounds pretty cool, especially if the interface is greatly improved over TI-GRAPH LINK software. (The TI-GRAPH LINK software is okay, but its interface isn't perfect.)

BTW, was ticalc.org down again or something yesterday? B/c I tried to come here and my browser couldn't find the page. It works okay today.

Oh, yeah, by "yesterday" I mean Tuesday, July 17. I'm not talking about that one Friday when they were down.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they were, but since you already asked the question I no longer have to.
I'm pretty sure they won't make another news article though!

*ticalc.org servers down again! Magnus goes off the deep end.*

can he swim?

I dunno.

In Roller Coaster Tycoon, people can't swim

(Now, what the heck brought that up?!??!)

Amazing, tenth comment!!!

the only thing that is amazing is that you counted to see what post you had. this program seems to be for the novice user (but i am not knockin' anyone who uses it on this site)

What about some advanced features? I mean, autodetect for cable and port are nice, but how about a memory map that you can edot on the PC? Some stuff needs to be in a ceratin order in memory, like game levels have to be after the game, Ion has to be in a certain spot, etc. It would also help in having shells on the 83 show programs in the order that you want. I know that often I have loaded the program I use most last, and have to scroll to the bottom of the list to run it (under Ion). The send-to-flash for 89 would also be nice, as that is where you end up keeping like EVERYTHING, because flash is so huge and safe.

sorry to burst your bubble, but dont count on this having advenced functions, looks like its for stupid people. i will probably use it though, but only if it is faster than my current software. i dont need to know about updates, because i already find them out here, and i dont plan on gettin a new rom version for my 89, being 2.04 is doing good for me.

speaking of ROM versions, I upgraded to AMS v2.05 on my 89, and now I am sorry I did... is there a way to downgrade to a previous AMS??????????????

There are ION modules, and one of them is to organize your program list any way you want.

"The TI-GRAPH LINK™ USB cable may now be used with most Windows® - based PCs."

Finally!

Before, you had to have a quantum computer for it to work properly. Luckily, I just happened to have one lying around...

I doubt it's any better than parallel port TI-graph link. Not to say costs twice as much.

Well, considering the calculators max out at 57.6kbps (the same speed as a 56k modem), serial port cables work just fine, altho the 25-pin gray cable (yes, it's serial, not parallel) is less processor-intensive than the 9-pin black cable. The gray cable uses the RS-232 serial port protocol and has a PIC in that extended connector on the pc end, while the black cable relies on software conversion into TI's proprietary calculator serial protocol.

Does the USB version make a difference? Does it transfer faster or reduce CPU usage or something?
I have the black serial version and it works fine.



Long live TI-73/80/81/82/85/86/89/92x
boo TI-83x!

AFAIK, USB is much faster.

IIRC, USB is theoretically significantly faster, but both it and serial have faster maximum transfer speeds than the link ports in the calcs. IIRC, the calcs can take up to about 57.6kbit/s. The RS-232 serial port protocol (I think that's an IEEE standard, but don't quote me on that) maxes out at about 112kbit/s, while USB1.1 can handle up to 12Mbit/s and USB2.0 can go up to 480Mbit/s, which is faster than the first version of IEEE1394/FireWire/iLink.

Of course, the next version of firewire planned is faster than USB 2.0, and unlike USB, will continue to be independent of the CPU.

Which means that no matter how fast USB goes, it'll still be slow because of it's CPU dependence.

This whole CPU dependence thing is why firewire is only now finding its way into PCs (*cough*INTEL*cough*)

Actually, IEEE 1394a and 1394b (800Mbps and 1.6Gbps, respectively) have been available on macs for a while. I think it's really just a Microsoft conspiracy to have at best rudimentary support in their oses, forcing people to use usb and then upgrade to new machines when their computers start to run slower because of the processor intervention required. Microsoft then gets more $$$ when you buy a computer that of course ships with windoze. Unless of course you're running Linux, but that has full support for firewire and usb (or at least is rumored to; i haven't tried it myself...yet), so it would be a nonissue.

I have a gray graphlink cable and 2 black ones, and I haven't noticed a difference in transfer rates. The only reason I use the black cables more than the gray one is that the black ones fit more easily on the crowded backs of most computers (also, no need for a DB9<->DB25 converter).

it does when you don't have any serial ports! (no serial on my laptop)

No serial ports, tsk, tsk, tsk. :-)

Didn't even know there was an USB link from TI...

Yeah, I have the same problem. My laptop doesn't have any serial ports (just USBs), so I have to use my TI-GRAPH LINK with another computer. I'll have to check the USB cable thing out. Hopefully it'll have a reasonable price.

I think it'll be the same price as it is now: $55 or so.

What about 83+ or 83+SE?

TI-92x = TI-92/TI-92 Plus
TI-83x = TI-83/83 Plus/83 Plus Silver Edition

From TI's website: "TI-83 Plus Silver Edition - More SPEED and POWER for the one who's got to have it all"

LIES LIES! It's the TI-89/92 Plus!

Apparently the marketing department is unaware of the fact that false advertising is illegal.

89/92+ is not allowed in high schools,
83+SE would be the most powerful calculator allowed in high schools

I beg to differ. My ti-86 runs rings around any 83(+(se)). While my 92+ is definatly my best calc. Aside from the 68k series and the ti-95(which has a parrallel port I am told) the 86 is the best. It's built in math function beat the 83 hands down and even though it doesn't have flash rom(hint hint TI) it does have 100k more ram than any other z80 calc. And most of all it doesn't have as many stupid basic/a rpgs polluting it's downloads section. If someone would make a GOOD on-calc rpg wizard for the 83 series it would win out.

At my Highschool (equivalent!) the TI86 wasn't allowed during exams too (in the whole country, the Netherlands, it wasn't allowed. TI83+ was highest allowed)

I see.